


The Public Perception Game

by Amerna



Series: Chronicles of the Star Spangled Tabloid Love Affair [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: BAMF Darcy Lewis, F/M, POV Outsider, media, press
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-17
Updated: 2016-01-17
Packaged: 2018-05-14 13:54:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5746279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amerna/pseuds/Amerna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky Barnes' return from the dead and the Winter Soldier revelation could have quickly unraveled into a PR disaster for the Avengers. But thankfully they have Darcy Lewis on their team to play press and public like a fiddle.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Public Perception Game

**Author's Note:**

> This is an outtake from “The reports about my love life have been greatly exaggerated”. I decided that I wanted to keep the focus of the epilogue exclusively on Steve and Darcy. So I took the part that pertained to Bucky and made it into a little side story.
> 
> The story is now available to **download** [here (dropbox link)](https://www.dropbox.com/s/xhnrqc6sjqpyosx/ReportsFormatted.pdf?dl=0) or [here (google drive)](https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3NCb8xCY4XhNGZjaDdZSkFocnM/view) since the pdf function here screws with the custom formatting. It’s included at the end of “The reports about my love life have been greatly exaggerated”.

**Disloyal Darcy! She’s cheating on the Captain! Pictures show her with a new beau all over town! Lovesick Captain refuses to accept that she’s bad for him!**

~*~

**Department of Justice announces re-investigation**

Washington, DC – The Department of Justice announced today that in the wake of the post-SHIELD discoveries in the past year, it will re-open some major high-profile cases. A dedicated task force will investigate crimes for which the statute of limitations has not passed yet and is planning to bring them to trial if the evidence upholds.

“The re-investigations were prompted by both new information gathered from the leaked files and new, valuable witnesses stepping forward,” a spokesperson said. “We are dedicated to bring the perpetrators to justice, even years or decades after the fact.”

Without naming specifics the spokesperson further said that among the cases that will be re-examined are deaths that were ruled accidents, cold cases and crimes where suspects were brought to trial and probably wrongfully convicted. No further comments were made about which cases the Department of Justice has decided to re-investigate.

~*~

Steven Knight @knightfall

Is it just me or does the new guy on Darcy’s side kind of look like Bucky Barnes?

Larry Peck @thepeckster

@knightfall hahahahahaha, conspiracy theory much?

Steven Knight @knightfall

@thepeckster I’m not saying it’s a conspiracy, but with a 97-year old defrozen super soldier and a God of Thunder walking the earth

Steven Knight @knightfall

@thepeckster and with Aliens actually attacking New York and London, nothing should surprise us any longer, right?

Ursula, the evil witch @moonmoonmoon

Guys, guys, guys – Thor is now on Instagram! And he’s adorkable. Look it up, his handle is THUNDERBAE! I bet Darcy set that up.

~*~

**The surprising addition**

The Avengers were once again deployed on American soil today and while that usually makes headlines the next day, it’s no longer a major news item, since the Avengers’ intervention has become mostly accepted in the past few months and they have helped in some high-profile cases.

What makes this news worthy is the newest addition to the group: For the first time they had a world-class sniper and former special operative in their midst: James Buchanan Barnes aka The Winter Soldier aka Bucky Barnes, Captain America’s childhood friend, Howling Commando, thought to have been killed in action during an operation in the Alps in 1944.

We all know how unbelievable that sounds, even though we have grown accustomed to news about Alien attacks and literal gods walking the earth.

As soon as James Buchanan Barnes was identified in bystander footage as a member of the operation, official statements were quick to follow. They revealed that Sergeant James Barnes survived his fall in the Alps and was taken by Hydra and kept prisoner for almost 70 years. The details are still being kept under wraps, though, as Darcy Lewis, public liaison for the Avengers, revealed.

“We’ve been working in the background with the authorities,” Darcy Lewis stated. “There has been a full investigation, as a matter of fact: the investigation is still ongoing and we are cooperating fully. Which is why we can’t disclose any further details about James Buchanan Barnes’ miraculous return. It’s still an active case with the DoJ, to which we’re referring you for further questions.”

The Department of Justice issued a “no comment” to all requests with a reference to said ongoing investigation.

Only the Avengers volunteered some additional information: “This was not how we had planned the reveal, going public,” Darcy Lewis explained further, “but it was an actual emergency and the Winter Soldier’s expertise about Hydra was needed. He had been cleared for duty by his therapists a while ago but had been – for understandable reasons – reluctant to return to the field. But this mission hit very close to home for him and he volunteered to help ensure its success.”

~*~

**The public perception game**

The people behind the Avengers do not get enough praise, by which I don’t mean their everyday human personalities but rather the support team they’ve assembled to handle logistics and analysis and the political and PR issues. The first two are run by former Assistant Director of SHIELD Maria Hill, who does not get much visibility. This is probably by design, because the inner workings of the team and their tactics are best not revealed as it would lead to increased vulnerability. But the political issues are being handled by Darcy Lewis very publicly and transparently and boy, does she play the press and the public like a fiddle.

Case in point: The Avengers are totally winning the public perception game in that Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier controversy.

When the newest (ninth) member of the Avengers was confirmed to be James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes, Captain America’s childhood friend, Howling Commando, thought to have been killed in action in World War II, it led to a major news frenzy. But the only additional information we received was the disclosure that he had been taken prisoner by Hydra after he survived his fall during an operation in the Alps in 1944. Afterwards: Nothing. There was no further information disclosed from official sides with the excuse that there was an ongoing, classified investigation.

Further digging by journalists revealed that his code name, the Winter Soldier, might give us some further hints about his fate. Intelligence experts were quick to point out that the Winter Soldier was a name given to a myth, a high-ranking operative that carried out more than a dozen assassinations in the last 50 years and had outstanding warrants in at least 37 countries, including the US. So was James Buchanan Barnes responsible for all of this? People began requesting him to stand trial for these crimes, they got the pitchforks ready and were demanding his head.

At this point it is all speculation. It is a logical presumption based on what we know, but we do not have any official confirmation. There haven’t been any leaks either, just silence from official authorities. Every political expert will confirm that withholding information is a dangerous tactic, because without any tangible news the press and the public tend to fill the void with speculation and it is very difficult to influence said speculation in your favour.

But Darcy Lewis is doing just that.

It is a brilliant strategy that consists of two parts: Public pressure and diversion.

The public pressure game is working marvellously and we have all been witness to that. Darcy Lewis releases a weekly, public statement to all press inquiries stating that as much as they would like to disclose further details, they cannot do that because the Department of Justice does not allow it. It is all very carefully worded to suggest that the Avengers are advocating transparency and full disclosure in this case but the official authorities won’t have any of it. Darcy Lewis has put the investigation team in the defensive, actually made it look as if the DoJ is trying to hide something.

She has managed to make the Avenger’s appear as if they are the press’ ally, that she is releasing these statements to help expediting the process and putting pressure on the official authorities. But essentially she has made the press side with the Avengers, which works perfectly for the second part, diversion.

Sure, there are no official appearances, no one-on-one interviews, no sit-downs with Oprah, no announcement of autobiographies being published soon. But Bucky Barnes is a pervasive presence in any kind of media thanks to a few well-timed “slips” and public sightings.

Think back to Darcy Lewis’ statement a few weeks back when she seemed frazzled and unnerved and let it slip that “we cannot divulge any information on the decades of imprisonment and torture and brainwashing since the DoJ doesn’t allow us to do it.” But trust me, that wasn’t a slip on her part, that was throwing a bone to the hungry press. Decades of imprisonment? Torture? Brainwashing? She hit all the notes sensational journalism loves. The stories about “poor Bucky Barnes” basically wrote themselves. The people with their pitchforks became less vocal.

At the same time Bucky Barnes is out and about with all the Avengers and gets photographed by paparazzi, especially when he’s with Captain America and/or Darcy Lewis, who have by far the highest tabloid profile. Additionally, Captain America makes references to him on his Twitter. Thor is apparently a close friend, too, judging by his Instagram posts. Tony Stark was overheard to say that he’s been “helping Bucky along with his high-tech prosthetic” and that they are planning to make this technology available to more soldiers wounded in action. Those mentions are not accidents, it’s all been carefully strategized, thought-out and then executed. The people with their pitchforks have basically disappeared.

Other media is gladly helping along: The history channel broadcasted repeats of all their Howling Commandos footage, earned a new ratings record and then added some new programming about Avengers conspiracy theories. Even HBO for the first time in years put on repeats of their Howling Commandos show. The Smithsonian updating their Bucky Barnes display actually made national news.

So not only has the media all but acquitted Bucky Barnes aka the Winter Soldier of his supposed crimes based on what little information we have, but they have also made him into the perfect victim. There must have been some cruel twist of fate, the journalists say, some tragic circumstances that led to all this – he does have a metal arm, said high-tech prosthetic, after all. Darcy Lewis mentioned offhandedly (or not) in her first statement after the operation that put him in the public spotlight that Bucky Barnes is attending therapy so there must be some trauma involved. Poor, innocent Bucky Barnes who cannot be held responsible for all the crimes he might have committed as the Winter Soldier. At this point, hardly anybody is requesting an official Winter Soldier trial any longer. It wouldn’t surprise anyone if there was a public outcry were such a trial announced.

The media is defending Bucky Barnes in the Avengers’ stead while for all intents and purposes they are cooperating with the official investigation that is currently very, very classified. The Avengers’ slate is squeaky clean. They’ve managed to turn all the coverage in their favour and that is impressive.

By now Bucky Barnes is no longer a myth, he’s beloved. It doesn’t matter if the DoJ releases the conclusions of their investigation tomorrow or in twelve years, they’ve lost the public perception game, all thanks to the PR genius the Avengers employ.

~*~

The Avengers hosted the 6th annual gala benefitting the New York relief efforts last night, but one of the most anticipated guests was missing from the event: James Buchanan Barnes aka the Winter Soldier.

There was no official word about this, but rumour has it that Darcy has decided that it would send the wrong message to see him partying with his friends in such a luxurious setting when the investigation about his crimes is ongoing. Bad move, Darcy! You robbed us of the pictures of two super soldiers in tuxes!

~*~

**The Department of Justice releases Winter Soldier files**

The Department of Justice finally caved to the mounting public pressure and released all details about their ongoing investigation into the case of James Buchanan Barnes. He was confirmed to be the Winter Soldier, notorious assassin responsible for more than a dozen assassinations carried out for Hydra. He was further confirmed to be a former Hydra prisoner for almost 70 years who was subject to torture and savage brain washing until he broke free in the wake of the Hydra reveal in May more than two years ago.

After being on the run for more than a year, he surrendered himself to authorities. He is also the reason why the DoJ re-opened several cases last year, since he was involved in most of them and his testimony led to new insights. The DoJ confirmed that they are still investigating several crimes and are working with international intelligence agencies and law enforcement and the Avengers to ensure that justice is served even decades after the fact.

The Avengers released their own statement, stressing that James Buchanan Barnes is the longest-living prisoner of war and cannot be held responsible for his crimes since he was tortured and brainwashed and essentially not himself. And finally, James Buchanan Barnes has chosen, of his own free will, to help with the investigation because it’s the right thing to do, not because he is bargaining for a plea deal or immunity.

A final ruling in the investigation is still pending.

~*~

**The Winter Soldier not to stand trial for his crimes**

In a move that surprised absolutely nobody the DoJ announced today that James Buchanan Barnes will not stand trial for the deeds he did as the Winter Soldier. After a thorough investigation an independent panel cleared him of all wrong-doings based on grounds of coercion and mental manipulation and decided to not file charges.

“This has been a unique and challenging case,” a spokesperson said, “but we have decided that we cannot put James Buchanan Barnes on trial for crimes he committed when he was not himself. He was a victim in all of this, not the perpetrator.”

The Avengers expressed gratitude over the DoJ’s ruling. “What was done to James Barnes was one of Hydra’s most atrocious crimes,” an official statement read. “Sadly, the people that did this to him can no longer be brought to justice. We will continue to work with the DoJ to make sure all those that cheated justice in the last decades due to their Hydra connection will be held accountable.”

~*~

**Get your tissues ready! James Buchanan Barnes publishes emotional and honest answer to fellow veteran on social media**

The Captain is a vocal supporter of veteran affairs and frequently answers questions both at official occasions and on social media. When one heartfelt request was directed towards Bucky Barnes though, 140 characters were not enough for the elusive Winter Soldier.

First Lieutenant Jane Pilgrim, an Iraq war veteran, posted the following question last week:

Jane Pilgrim @Janesbetter

@Rogers4Real as a veteran who struggles with PTSD and losing a limb I was wondering: How does Bucky Barnes manage? I need some advice.

Her further tweets (she wasn’t available for an official statement) revealed that she considered the question a long shot to begin with and understood that she might not receive an answer but that voicing her struggles helped.

So she probably didn’t expect James Buchanan Barnes to post a long, heartfelt answer. He took over Thor’s Instagram with an adorable picture of him in Tony Stark’s workshop and a long note, which reads as follows:

Hey @Janesbetter. I received your question and I was initially reluctant to offer some advice because I feel I am probably the least qualified to answer this because my case is so special. And I really don’t want to sound terribly high-handed, like some people without mental illness that simply don’t understand that “just getting out to get some fresh air” is simply not going to cut it. But I am going to try anyway.

First of all: There is absolutely no shame in talking to a therapist (if you are not doing so already). Go to the closest VA, there are different options available. Group sessions, one-on-one sessions. There are a few non-profits. The Wounded Warrior project. The Yellow Ribbon Fund. The New Battlefront Foundation. I attend therapy, as does Steve, and it helps. When you have a physical illness, you go to a doctor. Mental illnesses shouldn’t be treated any differently.

How do I manage? I don’t know… I manage somehow. There are days when I’m not feeling well, horrible in fact. There are days when I’m frightened, not for myself but for my friends surrounding me. There are days when I cannot talk. There are days when I hate Steve because it was his stubbornness that got me here. There are days when I cannot sleep because the nightmares are too pervasive. There are days when I cannot get up, take a shower even. There are days when I don’t know what I’m supposed to be doing with my life.

There are certain skills that I will probably never unlearn. Sitting in public spaces so that I can cover all the exits. Assessing people as threats first. Disappearing in plain sight. Knife skills.

There are little things that make me feel better: Tea with Bruce. Clint’s constant, silent presence, when I really don’t feel like talking. Tony’s mindless chatter and his workshop, where I spend a lot of time because I want to learn all about my cybernetic arm. (One of Tony’s robots has a crush on it, it’s adorable.) Darcy baking. Thor in fuzzy socks, slapping me on my back because I did good because apparently that’s what you do with a fellow warrior. Sam’s extended family that has all but adopted me. A whiff of Natasha’s flaming red hair. The sun shining.

I don’t know if any of this resonates with you, but that’s the ugly thing about returning home from war and not being the same person anymore: It’s different for all of us. When you get shot in the leg, you know what to do. But when you experience trauma, it’s difficult to deal with.

But I’ve decided that trauma shouldn’t keep me from living my life. Because in my case it would mean that they’ve won. I struggle, every day. But then: They gave me skills. I fully intend to use them against them.


End file.
